we've heard a lot of great things about heytea and wanted to see if it lived up to the hype! the shop can get pretty crowded, especially on weekends or evenings, but i've been lucky a few times with no line at all. you can also order for pickup on the app instead, which saves you the wait, but keep in mind that the estimated pickup time can be incorrect when it's busy. i once waited ~40 minutes for an order that was supposed to be done in 15 minutes. heytea has a limited menu, and they also have a fun seasonal menu. i noticed that some of the drinks aren't part of the seasonal menu but are eventually discontinued.
- crisp grape boom (3.5/5): tasted like fresh red grapes, although i would've liked even more of a grape flavor. it was like a half-melted popsicle, and i thought it would've tasted better if it were all one consistency - either a slush or a juice. i did like the grape bits in it!
- mango grapefruit boom (3.5/5): i enjoyed how fresh the mango flavor was, but there wasn't that much mango in the drink. it was full of toppings, especially the coconut pudding and sago, and it tasted mostly like coconut. there was some grapefruit pulp, but not a ton. it would've been great with more mango, but i did still enjoy it. this was also more watery than most mango sago drinks i've had
- coconut mango boom (5/5): this had an even balance between coconut and mango, which i loved. there was a huge difference in flavor between the mango grapefruit and the coconut mango boom, even though the only difference was supposed to be the grapefruit. i could actually taste the mango in this one, and the texture was a lot more consistent!
- supreme brown sugar bobo milk tea (4/5): very light for a brown sugar milk tea but also didn't really taste like one. i could taste the black milk tea flavor more than brown sugar. there was some initial brown sugar flavor where it pooled at the bottom, but then it disappeared. the cheese cloud topping was really tasty - lightly sweet and salty. i didn't think the drink was too sweet at regular sweetness, but i could've gotten it less sweet. the brown sugar bobo (boba) was chewy but really on the softer end
- matcha cloud jasmine latte (4.5/5): really great jasmine flavor, but the matcha was very subtle. even though it was only in the cloud foam, i would've liked to taste it a bit more. it was very light for a milk tea and perfectly sweet at less sweet
- green grape boom [seasonal] (4.5/5): i liked this one more than the crisp grape boom because it tasted more strongly of grapes. it was also watery but more of a slush than the crisp grape boom. i loved the chunks of green grapes in it!
- mulberry strawberry boom [seasonal] (4/5): good fruity flavor, which was light and perfectly sweet. i personally didn't enjoy it as much because of the tartness and because the seeds would get caught in my teeth, but it was exactly as advertised. it did have a prominent mulberry flavor and lots of pulp
if ordering on the app, toppings are added at the very bottom by tapping on the topping and then adding it to a drink. the brown sugar bobo (boba) is softer than what i like, but it's still chewy and not bad. the fat-free bobo pops (crystal boba) are good, and the clouds (creams) are fairly thick and creamy.
overall, heytea uses fresh high quality ingredients, but i do think it's a little overhyped. i enjoy how light the drinks taste, but i don't find myself craving them that often. however, i appreciate the calorie counts and ingredients list for each drink on the app, and i find myself checking for new drinks every so often. read more